March Madness 2019: Sleeper Picks with Bracket-Busting Potential

If you're going to win your March Madness pool, you're going to have to nail a few upsets. 

Whether it's the classic 12-over-5 matchup or an unexpected run from an 11-seed to the Final Four (thanks a lot Loyola), there are always those teams that just seem intent on destroying brackets. 

This year will be no different. There are teams in the field that are primed to be live dogs when they go against their higher-seeded foes.

From double-digit seeds who have a shot at pulling off the upset to those middle seeds who can get to the Elite Eight or Final Four, going chalk is rarely the move when filling out your bracket. 

Here's a look at a few teams who could make picking games this March a difficult task. 

Saint Mary's Gaels

Villanova's defense of the national title might not last long. The six-seed draws a tough matchup in the round of 64 with the up-and-down Saint Mary's Gaels looking to surprise people. 

The Gaels guaranteed their spot in the field by virtue of a 13-point win over No. 1 seed Gonzaga in the WCC tournament. In short, they're playing their best basketball right now. 

At their best, the Gaels are a scary combination of shooting and defense, with three shooters over 40 percent from beyond the arc in the starting lineup. They also have a legitimate rim-protector in Jordan Hunter to beef up the defense. 

Villanova isn't what it was last year. The Wildcats are 121st in three-point percentage, 73rd in KenPom.com's defensive efficiency metric and were 5-6 against Quadrant 1 teams. 

Don't get fooled by the name value, the Gaels have a real shot at advancing and eliminating the reigning champions. 

Marquette Golden Eagles

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Everyone loves to pick the 12-seed over the 5-seed. There's usually one of those upsets a year. Pickers should be advised, though: The Eagles have a good chance to get to the Sweet Sixteen, where they would play a Gonzaga team that is shaky as one seed. 

Murray State is a trendy pick because of Ja Morant, but Markus Howard gives the Racers the type of scorer that can go basket-for-basket with him.

He's been money against ranked opponents for the Golden Eagles:

If the Golden Eagles can get beyond the Racers, the road to the Elite Eight is interesting. No. 4 seed Florida State is long and athletic as usual but struggles in the shooting department (33.6 percent) and can stall offensively at times. 

Then there's Gonzaga. The Bulldogs are the No. 1 seed but are just 4-3 against Quadrant 1 teams, whereas the Golden Eagles were 10-5 this season. 

If Marquette can pick off both Florida State and Gonzaga behind strong performances from Howard, it is going to ruin a lot of brackets. 

Cincinnati Bearcats

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This is another pick that is targeted for the round of 32 that could make brackets interesting. 

Mick Cronin's Cincinnati Bearcats are the seven-seed in the South but will have the advantage of playing close to home in Columbus. That's bad news for No. 2 seed Tennessee, who will basically be playing a road game. 

The Bearcats crash the boards (22nd in rebounding rate), take care of the ball (29th in turnover rate) and play good defense (28th in KenPom). Combine that with the fact they have an offensive star in Jarron Cumberland and you have the makings of a Cinderella team. 

It doesn't hurt that close games have been the Bearcats' forte all season long. 

Tennessee is a force to be reckoned with, but the Volunteers come into the tournament 6-4 in their last 10 outings. That may be a sign of weakness heading into the tournament, and playing the AAC tournament champions in a virtual road game might be a spot for a bracket-busting upset. 

Click here for B/R's Printable Bracket